


Falling in Love Wasn't Part of the Plan

by orphan_account



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Banter, Bisexual Peggy Carter, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Libraries, Minor Canonical Character(s), Party, Study Group, Underage Drinking, lesbian thespian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-06 04:52:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4208616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College is a supposed to be a place where you can find yourself. Peggy Carter sets out to do exactly that, and things are going to plan so far. That is, until she befriends Angie Martinelli. As Angie and Peggy become closer and closer friends, Peggy starts to feel herself fall in love with Angie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hey, Who Turned Out the Lights?

Midterms were going to be the death of Peggy. She had been studying for fourteen hours straight, and in that time she hadn’t left to library. She was starting to hate the tall, orderly bookcases, the plush green carpet, and the round, wooden tables set up at the end of each aisle. 

Peggy stared at the book she was “reading.” She had reread the same about forty times, trying to make her sleep-deprived brain understand. 

However hard she tried, though, all Peggy could concentrate on was how nervous she was for her tests. And how weird the rain looked pounding on the skylight of the library. And on what color she should paint her nails. And on how hungry she was. And pretty much everything except what she should be concentrating on. 

Just then, a bright strike of lightening accompanied by thunder lit the deserted building, followed by the lights going out. The pitch-blackness surprised Peggy, though she was honestly glad for any excuse to stop trying to study. 

She grabbed her phone, and turned on the flashlight setting. She shone it around the library, only to find that nobody was in sight. Without bothering to gather her stuff up, she began wandering around the top floor of the library, looking for any occupants. 

After reaching the conclusion that there was no one there, Peggy made her way to the stairs. She shone her flashlight on the second floor, looking for any sign of life. There were none, as far as she could see. Peggy ran down the stairs, which was probably not a good idea in the dark. She slipped on the last few steps, and rolled her ankle. 

“Ow!” Peggy yelped as a reaction to the pain. She didn’t think it was broken, but her ankle began throbbing painfully when she tried to bear weight. 

“Hello?” a squeaky voice called out in response to Peggy’s exclamation. “Is anyone there?”

“Yes, I’m over by the stairs,” Peggy called out into the dark library. 

A few moments later a small girl emerged into the light of Peggy’s phone. She was small and had light brown curly hair, and was wearing sweats and no makeup. Her large, green eyes had black circles under them, and she looked both exhausted and terrified. Despite all of this, Peggy’s first thought when she saw her was about how beautiful she was. 

“Who are you?” the girl asked, her face scrunched up adorably. 

“I’m Peggy,” Peggy said, holding out her hand for a handshake. 

“Are you English?” 

Before Peggy had the chance to answer, another strike of lightening lit the room, the thunder rumbling the room like an earthquake. Both the girls jumped at the same time. 

“I’m Angie.”

“Do you know if anyone else is here?”

“No idea. I was just studying, when, all of a sudden, the lights go out, and I’m alone in an empty library with no light, no phone, no car-”

“Why don’t you have a phone?”

“It distracts me from studying. Speaking of which, what time is it?”

Peggy glanced down at the screen of her phone before answering: “half three.”

“What now?”

“It’s half-three.”

“Alright, English. I don’t understand your fancy British talk. Here in America, we speak English. Let’s try this again: what time is it?”

“3:28 in the morning,” Peggy said, too tired to go into an argument about languages. 

“Okay.”

“So, the librarian has got to at least be here.”

“Well her desk is on the first floor. Come on, let’s go and see.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I hurt my ankle.”

“Alright, I’ll go then. Give me your phone.”

“No!” Peggy said, a little too quickly, “Don’t…leave me alone here.”

“Are you scared?”

“No,” Peggy scoffed, trying her best to sound brave. In all honesty, she was a little scared. Maybe it was the thunderstorm combined with sleep deprivation, but she hated the idea of being by herself in the dark. “I just don’t want to be by myself while a complete stranger runs off with my phone.”

“Here, can you stand?” Angie sighed. 

“Yeah, I just can’t bear any weight on this foot,” Peggy said, as she stood. 

“Here, put your arm around me,” Angie instructed, and Peggy did as she said. “Use me like a giant, human crutch.” 

Peggy listened to Angie, and the two of them hobbled down the stairs in the dark like contestants in a three-legged race. Peggy was acutely aware of the warmth of Angie’s body against her, and how Angie’s heartbeat was softer and faster than Peggy’s. This closeness made Peggy’s fingers tingle with something she couldn’t quite place. Anticipation, maybe?

When they got to the front desk of the library, they found it empty. Angie shone Peggy’s phone over the desk, and found a piece of paper that said: Out for the rest of the day. Don’t bother locking up. 

“Ugh,” Angie said, upon seeing the note. “What do we do now?”

Peggy reached over and grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat down in it. “Does anyone know you’re here?”

“No,” Angie huffed. “I live in a single dorm.”

“My roommate’s probably already asleep…”

“Well that’s just great.”

“And we can’t leave because the doors are locked electronically.”

At that exact moment, Peggy’s phone, which was lying on the table, died. 

“I guess we’re staying here for the night.”

The electricity didn’t come on for another hour or so. The two girls filled the time with awkward conversation that slowly transitioned into a more comfortable. 

Peggy learned that Angie was a sophomore like her, who majored in film production, and waitressed at a local restaurant to help pay for college. She also found out that Angie came from a big, Italian family, something Angie wasn’t too fond of, but Peggy yearned for. 

Peggy had been raised by her uptight, British parents (who moved to the States soon after they got married), with no siblings or even pets. She confessed all of this to Angie, her lack of sleep being a better truth serum than even alcohol. 

When the power finally did come back on, Angie and Peggy had become somewhat close friends. Angie was actually in the middle of a story about her cousin when the overhanging lights flickered on. 

“…So then Paolo of course didn’t take my advice at all and went to Gina’s parents anyway and was like-” Angie was interrupted by the roar of all the electrical system coming back at once. 

“Ah, finally!” Peggy exclaimed immediately, making Angie raise her eyebrow. 

“Gettin’ tired of me already, English?”

“Can’t stand you,” Peggy laughed. 

“Alright, all my stuff’s upstairs, I’m going to go get it.”

“Can you get mine too?”

“As long as you won’t be too scared here, all by yourself,” Angie said in a teasing tone. Peggy just rolled her eyes at the retreating figure. 

Angie was back a few minutes later, with two backpacks (one over each shoulder) full of heavy books and notes. 

“I miss the feel of the sun,” Angie sighed overdramatically, while Peggy hopped over to her. 

“It’s still the middle of the night.”

“You spoil all the fun.”

Peggy once again wrapped her arm around Angie, and they hobbled out of the library, and into the cold night. The air smelled fresh and clean, like it always did after it rained, which was a nice change from the stale library air Peggy had been breathing for so long. 

“Here, this is my car,” Peggy motioned towards an old, black Volkswagen Beetle. 

“Well, I kind of figured, since it’s the only one here.”

When Angie slid into the driver’s seat (Peggy had hurt her right ankle, so she couldn’t drive), her first reaction was, “Ooh, vintage!” 

“Okay, my dorm’s-”

“No, no, no, no, no. You’re going to a hospital.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re really not.”

“But-” Peggy started to argue, but stopped short when she saw Angie’s authoritative glare. 

So Angie dropped Peggy off in the local Emergency Room. She left Peggy’s car in the parking lot, then took a bus back to campus, ignoring Peggy’s protests to the plan. 

“I can’t make you do that!” Peggy said in the waiting room. 

“You’re not making me do anything. It’s my choice and this is what I’m choosing.”

Peggy was ready to retaliate, but Angie spoke first. “Stay safe, English,” 

“You too.”


	2. Three Minds Are Better Than One

Over the next few weeks, Peggy had been very distracted. Between studying for midterms (all of which she passed with flying colors) and starting her new classes for the semester, she had almost forgotten the incident at the library altogether.

That is, except for the constant reminder of a sprained ankle. After Angie had left the Emergency Room, Peggy had been taken in and told she had a sprained ankle. She was prescribed with an ankle brace, and a month without exercise. This created some serious issues for her spots on the soccer and track and field teams.

But thoughts of Angie had completely slipped her mind until her first psychology class.

Upon arrival, Peggy noticed that the room was small, much smaller than the lecture halls she was used to. The seats were filled with an odd mixture of people. The class itself only had twenty or so students in it, and only three empty seats. Peggy had the options of sitting next to Jack Thompson, a sexist football player Peggy despised with all her being; Dottie Underwood, Peggy's sports nemesis; or Angie. Peggy easily chose Angie, remembering their night trapped in the library, and how easily they clicked.

When Peggy threw her books down on the desk, Angie looked up. Her eyes immediately lit up when she saw Peggy.

"Hey," Peggy greeted as she sat down.

"Finally, someone I know," Angie said, sounding relieved. After a pause where Peggy smiled, she added: "Oh, how's your ankle, by the way?"

"Sprained," Peggy responded, lifting up her leg to display her ankle brace.

"That sucks."

Peggy started to respond, but the teacher walked into the classroom.

"I am Professor Dooley. You will address me as such. I realize that all of you took this class as an elective, but I expect you to take this as seriously as any other class.

"First order of business: your semester projects. Twenty-five percent of your grade will be based off these projects. More information on the assignment will be posted online. You will have no in-class working time other than today. This is a six-week course, and I will take no excuses if it is late. This is a group project, but I will be assigning groups. They are: Daniel Sousa, Jack Thompson, and Ray Krzeminski; Peggy Carter, Howard Stark and Angie Martinelli; Dottie Underwood…" Professor Dooley continued, but Peggy ignored him after he had called her name.

She turned to Angie, after learning they were part of the same group. Her stomach clenched in knots when she saw a wide, toothy smile on Angie's face.

"Group partners!" Angie whispered, quietly enough that the professor didn't hear her.

"Do you know who that Howard Stark guy is?" Peggy whispered back.

"I've heard of him, but I don't know what he looks like."

It was then that Professor Dooley stopped talking. Peggy scanned the room quickly for their third group member. She was surprised when someone was already striding towards them like he was the most special person in the world. He had black, gelled-back hair, and a smirk on his face.

He sat in the vacated seat next to Angie, and introduced himself as "Howard Stark."

"Peggy Carter," Peggy returned the favor, already not too fond of Howard.

"So I guess that makes you Angie," Howard said to Angie in an alluring tone. Peggy creased her eyebrows. She was really beginning to hate Howard. Who just walks up to people and flirts with them?

"Umm…yeah," Angie said. She turned around to face Peggy, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"So, for this project," Peggy said, trying to get this conversation back to school, "we should probably exchange emails, so we can decide when to work on it."

"I like that idea," Howard responded, making a suggesting face at Peggy, who just glared back.

Once the bell rang an a few hours later, and Howard disappeared to the other side of class, Peggy turned to Angie and asked, "How did you say you knew of him again?"

"He's slept with, like, half the girls in my sorority."

"Figures."

********** 

Howard, Angie, and Peggy lay sprawled out in the grass outside, on an exceptionally warm (at least for the middle of winter) day. There were a few notebooks and psychology textbooks strewn about haphazardly.

The trio had been working for hours on a project that seemed to be mostly busywork. After the first few minutes, Peggy had called Howard out on his horrible flirting. It took a bag of Doritos and a small amount of blackmail Peggy had obtained over the weekend to get him to agree to stop.

Howard was actually quite enjoyable once he stopped flirting. He was somewhat funny, and apparently some sort of genius (Peggy's blackmail had not been able to do the trick for his exceptionally large ego).

"I hate this class!" Howard cried in frustration, pushing away his computer in distain.

"Then why'd you take it?" Peggy asked, half amused by his antics.

"I needed an elective and this looked interesting! Little did I know that it was the class from hell."

"I took it because of acting. You need to know how someone behaves to be able mimic it," Angie said.

"I need it for criminology," Peggy said, thankful to talk about anything other than their project, "You know, telling when people are lying, or for undercover work."

"Don't they have lie detectors?" Howard asked.

Peggy shrugged, "I thought it couldn't hurt. I was wrong."

And so the three of them continued their boring work, all regretting their decision to take that class.

********** 

Over the next few weeks Peggy, Angie, and Howard had become close friends. Their working had slowly evolved into binge-eating Cheetos and talking, with their laptops in front of them in the illusion of work.

Peggy began to look forward to these sessions. They were her only break from school or sports or anything else that she worried about constantly.

"So Peggy," Angie said, on the fourth week of the project, "You're majoring in criminology." Angie was laying on her stomach on the floor of Peggy's dorm. Peggy was sitting cross-legged on her bed, and Howard was sitting at Peggy's desk. Luckily, Coleen, Peggy's roommate, had afternoon classes, so they could work there.

"Yep," Peggy responded absentmindedly, distracted by reading a small passage from her psychology textbook.

"So are you going to be a police officer, join the secret service…?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking CIA."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I want to do the right thing I guess, help people. What about you?"

"I want to star on Broadway!" Angie said the last word overdramatically, making Peggy laugh easily.

"How about you?" Peggy asked Howard, who was rummaging through his notes.

"I'm not sure," Howard looked up as he responded, "Something with mechanics, definitely."

"You seem prepared," said Peggy, irony clear in her voice.

"Hey," Howard said defensively, "I'm nineteen! I don't have to have my whole life planned out for me. I'm not that controlling and obsessive like some people," he said, looking over to Angie pointedly.

In response he got a Cheeto thrown at his head. "It is completely normal to have certain aspects of your life planned out."

"Angie, you already planned out when you're getting married, where you're going to live, how many kids you're going to have, and all their names," Howard said, referencing times when Angie had talked about what she wanted for the future. "You don't think that's the least bit weird?"

"At least I actually want to do something with my life, like find love, and not just sleep with half the people in this goddamned school!"

"I'm just having fun! Who knows, maybe when I get older I will settle down?"

"I doubt it," Angie muttered, still loud enough for Howard to hear.

Peggy watched their exchange in amusement. She thought that it was honestly just funny seeing them argue like that. They were like an old married couple. Well, an old married couple who didn't particularly like each other.

********** 

When six weeks was up, Peggy was almost sad to turn in their project. She was relieved to have that off her back, of course, but was sad that she didn't have scheduled hang-out sessions with her friends anymore. She knew that they still could and would hang out outside of that, but it was still mildly upsetting to her.

It felt final, giving up that paper to Professor Dooley.

In the last month and a half she had made some damn good friends, and she knew they would still be friends until the day they die.


	3. Peggy Carter and the Roommate's Boyfriend

When Friday finally rolled around, Peggy was more than ready for the weekend. She was ready to lay on her bed and eat junk food and read a book for hours, something she thought she deserved for working nonstop that week. 

However, when Peggy got to the door of her room, all her relaxation plans crumbled to dust. On the doorknob was a single sock. 

Peggy groaned, annoyed that she had forgotten that Colleen’s boyfriend was in town. 

More than anything, Peggy really didn’t want to go back to that godforsaken library that she had seen way too much of that week, as she was doing an intense amount of schoolwork. Also, Peggy was pretty sure that Colleen would want as much time as possible, possibly even the whole night. So Peggy called the one person she knew would help her out. 

“Hey, so I know this is kind of last minute, but my roommate’s boyfriend is in town. Could I maybe spend the night?”

“Sure, English, come on over!” 

**********

When Peggy arrived at the Griffith sorority, she was just a tiny bit nervous. Peggy didn’t know why, but she felt like butterflies were having a party in her stomach. 

Casting unnecessary nerves aside (or at least shoving them deeper into her mind, Peggy rang the doorbell to the intricate, Victorian-looking house that seemed out of place in upstate New York. 

Thankfully, it was Angie who opened the door, making Peggy’s stomach do flips. “Peggy!” she squealed, holding out her arms to hug Peggy. 

“Hi Angie,” Peggy said as she wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter girl. “Thank you so much.”

“Don’t even mention it,” Angie said. After a few more long moments, she reluctantly pulled out of the hug. “Now come on!”

Angie took Peggy’s hand, and led the way upstairs. They passed a few girls on the way, who gave Peggy a weird look and then started whispering to each other. Peggy didn’t take this as a welcoming sign. 

When they got to Angie’s single room, Peggy put her backpack full of textbooks by the door, thankful to finally get it off her shoulders. When Peggy looked back up at Angie, she saw that she was hiding something behind her back. 

“What’s that?” 

Angie gave a devious smile, then revealed a huge stack of movies. Peggy just raised her eyebrows in response. 

“I have all eight Harry Potter movies, four bags of popcorn, and half a rhubarb pie. You in?”

Peggy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, “Do you think that just because I have an English accent that I love Harry Potter?”

“Am I wrong?”

“…No.”

And so Peggy sat down next to Angie, who pulled out her crappy computer and stuck the DVD in it. Angie put the computer on both of their thighs, which were  
touching (something Peggy couldn’t quite get out of her mind), and hit play. When the signature music started playing, Peggy relaxed against the wall. 

The two friends stayed up eating popcorn and pie until extremely late at night (or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it). The Harry Potter movies were still playing in the background, though neither of them were paying close attention. Angie was currently French braiding Peggy’s hair. Every time Angie’s fingertips brushed Peggy’s scalp, she got shivers down her spine. 

The two of them talked all night, the topics ranging from schoolwork to TV shows to complaining about annoying people. 

“You know the girl who lives in the room next to mine?” Angie was saying. 

“No…”

“Well, she calls her mom, crying, like, every night.”

“Poor thing.”

“Maybe the first time.”

Peggy couldn’t help but snicker at Angie’s response. 

“Finished!” Angie declared a few moments later, as she tied up Peggy’s hair with a spare hairband. “Not my best work, but it’ll do.”

Peggy, who was sitting on the floor in front of Angie’s bed, crawled over to her desk to grab a makeup mirror she noticed earlier. Doing her best to angle the mirror at the back of her head instead of her face, Peggy examined her new hairstyle. “This is incredible,” Peggy stated, running her hand over the back of her head to feel how neat and perfect the braid was. 

“Yeah, well, you get a lot of practice with four younger sisters,” Angie said modestly. “Hey, can you get some food?”

“Where is it?” Peggy asked. 

“Bottom desk drawer.”

“You keep food in your desk?”

“Where else am I gonna put it?”

Peggy opened the drawer to find boxes and boxes of pasta. The deep drawer was filled with a huge variety of pasta, from ramen noodles to lasagna to spaghetti. 

“You have a secret stash of pasta,” Peggy said the first thing that came to her mind, 

“Hey, I’m Italian! It’s allowed,” Angie defended. “Get the hot plate and some water too.”

“Why do you have all this stuff?”

“For instances like this, when it’s three in the morning, the mess hall is closed, and I’m hungry!” 

“You’re insane,” Peggy observed. 

“What’s new?” Angie replied, then reminded Peggy to get the water necessary for noodles. Peggy did, and put the small pot on the hot plate. 

She walked over to Angie and sat beside her on her bed. They sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, waiting for the water to boil. 

And as Peggy sat next to her best friend, marathoning Harry Potter at three in the morning, and she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter's kinds meh and short. Next one will be better I promise.


	4. Why Falling in Love Wasn't Part of the Plan

“C’mon it’ll be fun!”

“Howard, you know I have a huge test tomorrow.”

“Then don’t drink!”

Peggy had been walking to her next class, blissfully alone, enjoying the warming weather that had her wearing only a light sweatshirt. Then, Howard had come up to her, trying to convince Peggy to go to some party that night. She had a history exam the next day that could make or break her grade. She didn’t want to have to retake the class because of some stupid party and the hangover that went with it. 

“Oh yes, being the only sober one around a bunch of drunk buffoons is exactly how I want to spend my night.”

“You won’t be the only sober one there,” Howard defended. 

“Oh?” Peggy asked, inviting him to elaborate. 

“Angie’s going to be there. And a few other Designated Drivers.”

“Oh,” Peggy said, thinking. If her best friend was going to be there, it could be a lot of fun, even without booze. “Fine, I’ll go.”

“Yes!” Howard pumped his fist, “I knew you’d come around!”

When Peggy got to the party (which was, incidentally, at a frat house), it was already in full swing. She quickly scanned the crowd, only to find no Angie. 

Disappointed, she pushed back some already-drunk people to get to the food table. However, when she walked in she immediately walked out, as the room was filled with marijuana smoke from people with the “munchies.” 

Sighing, Peggy wandered around, looking for something interesting to do. She found that college parties were significantly less fun without alcohol. She walked past a group of people invested in a game of beer pong, some people dancing by the pool, which wasn’t so bad, until they started trying to jump over it (all attempts were unsuccessful). Peggy got pushed around by the crowds, different offers of drinks shoved in her face. She declined all of them firmly. 

Finally, she found herself in the backyard. It was significantly less crowded than the inside, filled only with a few couples making out. She sat on one of the patio chairs, opening a can of coke she had somehow acquired.

“What an excellent way to spend my Friday night,” Peggy muttered to herself, annoyed at Howard. 

It was a few more minutes of Peggy trying to block out the muffled moans of the couples, before she heard a voice break the silence. 

“English!” Peggy’s head snapped up so fast, she had to rub her neck. 

“Angie!” Peggy called back, “I’m so glad to see you.” 

“Same here,” Angie said. She had walked over to Peggy and now hugged her. “I almost didn’t come, until Howard said you were going to be here.” 

“Yeah, well, here I am,” Peggy decided to ignore the fact that Howard had told Angie she was coming before Peggy had even agreed. 

“What’re you doing here all by yourself?” Peggy got up and the two of them started walked back indoors to the party. 

“Couldn’t stand bearing these drunk idiots all by myself.” 

“That’s fair.”

Peggy and Angie linked arms like schoolgirls, and began skipping over to the pool. 

“Where are we going?” Peggy laughed. 

“To go see these drunk idiots make complete fools of ourselves. And record it,” Angie said matter-of-factly, pulling out her phone as a devilish smile grew on her face. 

Peggy had a great time once Angie arrived. They spent the rest of the night laughing their heads off at the others. Angie actually got a vine to go viral in just a few hours (someone actually could jump over the pool, it turns out). 

It was only half an hour past midnight when Angie and Peggy came across a passed out Howard. He was lying on the couch, mumbling in his sleep. Next to him was his roommate, Edwin Jarvis, who was just barely awake. 

“It’s probably time for me to take these morons home,” Angie observed, sounding disappointed to leave. 

“I’ll help you get them to the car.”

“Thanks.”

The two girls carried the boys back to Peggy’s car, which Angie had borrowed. They piled Jarvis on top of Howard, not really caring about their comfort. 

“Do you need a ride home?” Angie asked, leaning against the beetle once they finished. “I mean, it is your car.”

“Nah, my dorm’s not far from here.”

“Aw, come on, it’s no problem, really.”

“You’re just trying to get me to help carry them back to their dorm,” Peggy guessed. 

“Maybe…”

“Just leave them in the car overnight,” suggested Peggy. 

“They’ll probably throw up on your seats.”

“And they’ll pay for all the damages.”

“I like the way you think.”

“Bye Angie,” Peggy called, turning to leave. 

“See ya, English!”

Peggy walked home, letting the silence and darkness envelope her. She could barely hear the crickets and cicadas over the thump-thump of the party music that  
was still ringing in her ears. 

Peggy thought about the party, and about how much of a good time she had had, once Angie showed up. Angie always had a way of making things better, brighter for Peggy. 

As Peggy stepped onto the bridge that spanned a river that was on her way, she got to thinking about Angie. About how her smile always made Peggy happier. 

About how she would sometimes blush bright red when she said something she didn’t mean to, but kept on talking anyway. How half the time Peggy didn’t know what Angie was talking about, but let her go on because she loved seeing her jabber on so happily. 

And that was when the realization hit Peggy like a truck. She was in love with her best friend. 

Peggy quickly ran to the side of the bridge and promptly threw up into the water. 

Oh my god, Peggy thought, oh my god oh my god oh my god no no no this can’t be happening. 

“Too much to drink?” some guy asked once he got within earshot of Peggy. 

“Something like that,” she replied. 

“You alright?”

“I’ll be fine, thanks,” Peggy said, spitting the acidic taste of bile out of her mouth. Panicking, Peggy twisted around and sat down, so her butt was on the cool pavement and her back was against the side of the bridge. She put her head in her hands, trying her best not to scream. 

It wasn’t that she was afraid of being in love with a woman (she had known she was bisexual for quite a few years), in was being in love. Last time she had fallen for someone, she had her heart ripped out of her chest and stomped all over. 

His name was Steve and she had loved him. They dated during high school for a few years, and Peggy had loved him. She knew she was young and had barely experienced anything, but she knew love. Steve had felt the same, she knew, and they were happy. That is, until he mysteriously disappeared. 

She remembers that it was a random Saturday, and she had just sent him a cheesy “good morning” text, something that had become somewhat of a tradition. She started getting worried after a few hours when he didn’t respond. So she tried calling him. No answer. Peggy tried to convince herself that she was overreacting, but couldn’t get rid of the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was midafternoon and several phone calls later that she called his parents. Apparently they hadn’t seen him all day either, and he wasn’t in his room. About a week later, there was still no sign of him, and there was an unsuccessful investigation launched by the police. The case was unsolved, and no one ever found out what happened to him. 

And it broke Peggy’s heart. After that, she vowed to herself to never love again, because to love again means to go through that pain again, and Peggy could barely bear it the first time. She never wanted anything like that to happen again. 

And that was why she couldn’t love Angie, but it seems that her heart had other plans.


	5. Wicked

A few weeks later, Peggy’s feelings for Angie had only grown. Peggy relished in Angie’s smile, did anything possible to make her laugh, and spent every minute she could with Angie. 

But Peggy was too scared to act on her feelings. 

Whenever Peggy felt the irresistible urge to kiss Angie, she was reminded of the last time she kissed Steve. And then she remembered the pain that came with his disappearance. Every time she saw the twinkling in those green eyes, she was reminded of how Steve’s used to do the same. When Peggy got that unexplainable excitement in her stomach upon seeing Angie, she remembered how she had felt the same around Steve, too.

But it was also different with Angie. The way she gossiped was nothing Steve would do. The way she made Peggy laugh was not something that ever happened with Steve. The light-headed feeling Peggy got around her was nothing like the grounded comfort Steve would provide her with. She was simply a different person than Steve – in fact, they were nothing alike – but that couldn’t make this connection Peggy saw go away. 

This fear Peggy had wouldn’t go away. The logical part of her brain reminded her that it was horribly unlikely that something like this would happen again. It was a completely different situation, but the fact that something as painful and heart-breaking as losing Steve could happen again was enough to worry Peggy. 

So she kept her distance, and made sure Angie stayed just her friend, no matter how hard it was at times. 

Peggy was contemplating all of this as she walked to the auditorium. It was the opening night (Peggy didn’t get why they called it that, because it was the middle of the afternoon) of Angie’s play, which she had been working on for longer than Peggy had known her. The theatre department had decided to preform Wicked, a musical that was based off a book based of the Wizard of Oz (book and movie). The whole thing made Peggy’s head hurt. 

Apparently, Angie had gotten a pretty good role as Glinda the Good Witch. She hadn’t told Peggy much more about the play, insisting she wanted it to be a surprise and saying, “Then you’ll have no reason to go if you know exactly what happens.” 

When Peggy got to the huge auditorium (five minutes early), it was packed. Filled with parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, significant others, and some people who just really like musicals, Peggy guessed as she surveyed the crowds (utilizing some of the skills she had learned in phycology class). Peggy had some trouble finding an unoccupied seat. 

When she finally did find a seat, Peggy was disappointed by the bad view that it provided. She did accept that it was due to poor planning on her part, and underestimating how popular plays were. Peggy was stuck next to a wall on her left, and a friendly-looking guy on her right. Once she sat down and was situated, he struck up a conversation with her. 

“I’m Leet,” he introduced himself.

“Peggy.”

“My girlfriend, Dottie, got the lead role.” At the sound of Dottie’s name, Peggy stomach clenched. Dottie was always showing Peggy up in sports and class, and 

Peggy didn’t really know why she was surprised that she did the same thing to Angie was acting. God, how Peggy hated her. 

“Yeah,” Peggy forced herself to respond, “my best friend has a pretty big part, too.”

Leet looked like he was about to say something else, but the lights dimmed at the exact moment. 

**********

After the play was over, Peggy waited for Angie at the back door. She was holding a bouquet of violets (Angie’s favorite flower) to congratulate her on a job well done. 

When Peggy spotted a slightly-weary-but-happy-looking-Angie, she started waving frantically to draw her attention. Angie smiled even wider (of that was possible) when she saw Peggy. Angie ran over to her and hugged her, knocking the wind out of Peggy. 

“You were amazing,” Peggy said truthfully. She didn’t know much about acting, but she knew that Angie was incredible. “I almost believed you were Glinda. Or Galinda. Or whatever.”

“You really mean that, Peg?” Angie asked as she pulled away from the hug. 

“Of course I do!” Peggy handed her the violets, which were slightly smushed from the hard hugs Angie always gave, “Here, these are for you.”

“Aww, thanks English,” Angie said, her voice uncharacteristically solemn. She breathed in the scent of the violets, and a different kind of smile took over her face. 

“Violets, my favorite. You remembered.”

Peggy smiled and looked at the ground, afraid she might confess her feelings if she looked at Angie like that for too long. “Sorry your family couldn’t come.”

“You’re all I need,” Angie said. To Peggy’s love-infested mind it sounded like flirting, or a declaration of love, but Peggy knew better. 

“Do you like surprises?” Peggy asked as they started to walk back towards Angie’s sorority. 

“Absolutely hate them.”

“Try telling that to the girls at the Griffith.”

“Oh yeah, they think I like surprises. Last year, on my birthday they threw me a surprise party and I didn’t want to offend anybody.”

“You didn’t want to offend anybody?”

“I was working on being nicer. You can see how well that turned out.”

“Well, your sorority sisters are throwing you another surprise party to celebrate opening night.”

“Yipee,” Angie said sarcastically

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Wicked is the only play I know so that's why I used that. It's a play based off a book that's basically a prequel to Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz and fills in some plot holes. Glinda (the Good Witch) is the supporting character and is a pretty good part.
> 
> 2\. Yes I did use violets on purpose. 
> 
> 3\. Only 2-3 more chapters left! I'm going to try and finish up before summer break ends (August 25th for me).
> 
> 4\. Comments and feedback is always welcome and encouraged!


	6. What, You Didn't See That Coming?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahahaha i hate myself

“Steve?” Peggy cried when she saw the skinny blonde boy. There Steve was, mere feet from where she stood, looking exactly as Peggy remembered him. 

“Peggy,” his surprisingly deep voice cracked when he said her name. He looked so happy for a moment, before his face twisted into anger. “How could you do this to me? How could you betray me like this?”

“W-what?” Peggy whispered as she racked her brain for any way, any way at all that she could have hurt him. Did she not look hard enough for him? Could she have prevented his disappearance? The same questions that had ran through her head a million times resurfaced. 

“I thought what we had was real,” Steve sounded so hurt, so betrayed. 

“It is. It was.”

“Then how could you throw it all away…for her?” Steve pointed to his left, where a furious-looking Angie stood. 

“I-I didn’t,” Peggy tried to say, “I don’t,” the words couldn’t seem to come out, “She doesn’t change–”

“How could you?”

**********

The steady, intense rapping noise of knuckles on wood woke Peggy up. 

“Hey, you okay?” Colleen asked. 

Peggy nodded, her heart still beating fast from her dream. “Just a nightmare.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The knocking continued. 

“I’ll get that,” Colleen said, then got up towards the door (all of three steps, but still). 

“Could you?” Peggy asked, even though it was sort of redundant since Colleen was already turning the door handle. 

Colleen opened the door to two large, white, beefy police officers in uniforms. The blonde one had a moustache. 

“Um…,” Colleen said, “Anything I can do for you?”

“Is one of you ladies Margret Carter?” The moustached one asked in a booming voice. 

“Yeah, I am,” Peggy said, getting up from her bed to take Colleen’s place in front of the door. 

“You were a friend of Howard Stark?” the same man asked. Something about the question felt off, but Peggy brushed the suspicion aside as after-nightmare wariness. 

“Uh, yeah I am,” Peggy said, a hint of confusion in her voice. That changed to exasperation when she realized what was going on. “Did Howard get himself arrested again? What was  
it this time? Underage drinking? Assault? You can tell Howard that I’m not bailing him out again–”

“Ma’am,” the shorter, brunette officer interrupted her, “there’s been an accident.”

“Wh-wh-like-huh?” Peggy’s heart was once again quickening its pace. 

“There was a car crash,” someone said. Peggy wasn’t paying attention to who. “You were listed as one of his emergency contacts.”

Peggy managed to get out the words, “Is he…okay?” But of course she already knew the answer. She was majoring in criminology. The hospital would have called her if he was there. But she needed confirmation that what her brain was telling her was true. 

“No, ma’am, Howard Stark is dead.”

Peggy couldn’t breathe. She was drowning. Her lungs wouldn’t expand. She couldn’t breathe and she was drowning and Howard was dead and it was her fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, you didn't see that coming?
> 
> Okay, so short, but pretty angsty chapter.


	7. Putting the "Fun" in Funeral

Peggy’s black heels tap on the cobblestones with annoying consistency. _Heel-toe heel-toe heel-toe my-fault my-fault my-fault my-fault._ Peggy’s hand kept brushing Angie’s. 

Angie and Peggy were on their way back from Howard’s funeral. Peggy couldn’t think straight between her overwhelming desire to kiss Angie and the guilt that was weighing her down. 

“Angie,” Peggy’s voice sounded hoarse and scratchy. Angie stopped, surprised by Peggy speaking.

“Yeah?” Angie’s voice sounded fragile, like it was going to break at any moment. 

“I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Angie sounded worried. 

“It’s my fault Howard’s dead.”

“What? Peggy, what do you mean? How is it your fault?” Angie was talking slower and quieter than she usually did. 

Peggy took a deep breath, “A few years ago, I…my boyfriend disappeared.”

“Oh, Peggy, I’m so sorry,” Angie said, giving her a brief hug. “But…I don’t see how that makes this your fault.”

“Two people close to me have died in three years. And I’m the only constant factor. That’s no coincidence.”

Angie looked confused. “Yes it is. Neither of those things were your fault. I mean…I don’t know what happened with your boyfriend, but its Howard’s own damn fault he’s dead.”

“You’re not supposed to speak ill of the dead.” Angie wiped away a tear from Peggy’s face that Peggy hadn’t noticed.

“It’s not speaking ill if it’s the truth. You didn’t force him to drink and then get in his car.”

“I guess…”

“Oh, I can’t believe you’ve been blaming yourself this whole time,” Angie said, pulling Oeggy into another, longer hug. 

Peggy sniffled, and squeezed her tight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short but I just want to finish this fic already (only one chapter left!)


	8. Screw the Plan

Howard’s death had made Peggy realize how short life could be. You think you have years and years ahead of you to figure things out, but you could really die at any second, like he did. So Peggy made a decision to enjoy her life to fullest, or try to. 

And the only way to do that, Peggy decided, is to confess her feeling to Angie. Just as Peggy was thinking this, Angie ran up beside her, her smile somewhat diminished but still as wide as ever. 

“Hey English.”

“Hello Angie,” as Peggy spoke the words, she saw Angie look up at her worried, but Angie didn’t say anything. 

“Where are you off to?” Angie asked, and Peggy could tell she was trying hard to be cheerful, but Peggy knew her well enough to tell what was fake. 

“I’m, uh, going back to my dorm.” Peggy though about what she was going to say to Angie. “Will you go out with me?” seemed too simple; “I love you” would come off too strong. 

“Oh. I was going to go grab some lunch, if you want to join-”

“Angie,” Peggy interrupted. 

“Yeah?” Angie turned to face Peggy, the worry in her eyes more prominent than ever. 

“I’ve got something to tell you.”

“What? Didya cause the death of my dog, too?”

Peggy forced a smile, her heart beating out of her chest. “Angie, I like you a lot.”

Peggy noticed Angie swallow. Then Angie laughed and said, “Well, I kind of assumed so. Being your best friend and all.”

“No, Angie,” Peggy said, and her serious tone made the smile fade off Angie’s lips. Lips that Peggy noticed very clearly. “I think I lo-”

All at once, Peggy felt a pair on lips n hers. They were warm and soft and felt so good. Her eyes were so close to Angie’s green ones that everything looked blurry. Peggy noticed Angie’s arms slowly wrap around her back, and Peggy reciprocated, the shock of the kiss finally wearing off. Angie’s tongue discreetly slipped into Peggy’s mouth, only to disappear a second later. All too soon, Angie was pulling away, a smile on her face that made Peggy’s heart leap. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” Angie said, intertwining her fingers with Peggy’s. 

Peggy grinned, and her hear felt like it was about to burst. “Lunch, then?” she asked casually. 

“Yeah,” Angie said happily, swinging her hand as they walked in the direction of the mess hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I'm finally done. I have finally finished a multi-chapter fanfic. It only took 2 months. Now after this, I'm only ever going to write oneshots 'cause those are way better okay bye.

**Author's Note:**

> History has shown that I am horrible at finishing multi-chapter fics. That will not happen this time. I will finish this, if it's the last thing I do. 
> 
> I plan to update once every 2-3 days (don't hold me to that, though, because I am horrible with schedules), so I should be done with this in about a month (okay wow that's a long time). If you ever have any feedback on this story, please feel free to comment (and it's okay if you just pester me to update, the motivation's probably good for me). 
> 
> I am really looking forward to writing this story, and I appreciate you reading it!


End file.
